I had the biggest panic attack to date today, managed to get into the car with my friends to take my son for a hospital appointment, felt very unsafe and thought I was going to fall out of the car when it went around a corner. Talked to myself all through the journey telling myself I’d been round hundreds of corners and never fallen out out a car yet…got the hospital, got out the car, got half way across the carpark and had what I can only describe as the most hysterical panic/anxiety attack I have ever had. I,d dropped to the floor by now as I was with my friend Kay and I knew she wouldnt be able to run after me….I was screaming, pleading for help for what felt like forever, 2 paramedics came over and it took them a good 10 minutes to convince me I should stand up and go into A&E, I can only explain the whole thing as being hysterical, a Crisis nurse and doctor came to see my and gave me 4 diazepam, even after taking one – 5mg – I was hysterical and wouldnt then leave the hospital…I,m now at home and a lot calmer, the Crisis team are coming to see me between 10am and 1pm tomorrow to discuss meds, even the nurse said to the doctor ‘this isnt depression, this is severe anxiety..’ all I need is a tiny pinprick of light to look at to keep me hopeful. I honestly thought I could handle today but I didnt, I,m angry and disappointed with myself as this time a month ago I was fine
Anxiety is typified by exaggerated worries and expectations of negative outcomes in unknown situations, and such concerns are often accompanied by physical symptoms. These include muscle tension, headaches, stomach cramps, and frequent urination. Behavioral therapies, with or without medication to control symptoms, have proved highly effective against anxiety, especially in children.
Other research suggests that social structures that contribute to inequality, such as lower wages, may play a part. In a study published in January 2016 in the journal Social Science and Medicine, Columbia epidemiologists reviewed data on wages and mood disorders, and noted that, at least in their data set, when a woman's pay rose higher than a man's, the odds of her having both generalized anxiety disorder and major depression decreased. (10)
Anxiety disorders respond very well to therapy—and often in a relatively short amount of time. The specific treatment approach depends on the type of anxiety disorder and its severity. But in general, most anxiety disorders are treated with therapy, medication, or some combination of the two. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy are types of behavioral therapy, meaning they focus on behavior rather than on underlying psychological conflicts or issues from the past. They can help with issues such as panic attacks, generalized anxiety, and phobias.
Beta Blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, work by blocking the neurotransmitter epinephrine (adrenaline). Blocking adrenaline slows down and reduces the force of heart muscle contraction resulting in decreased blood pressure. Beta blockers also increase the diameter of blood vessels resulting in increased blood flow. Historically, beta blockers have been prescribed to treat the somatic symptoms of anxiety (heart rate and tremors) but they are not very effective at treating the generalized anxiety, panic attacks or phobias. Lopressor and Inderal are some of the brand names with which you might be familiar.
Panic disorder affects 2-3% of people every year in the United States and Europe, with varying rates depending on race and ethnicity. On average, Native American Indian populations experience panic disorder at higher rates than non-Latino white Americans. In contrast, African Americans, Latinos, Caribbean Blacks, and Asian Americans all experience the disorder at lower rates than non-Latino white Americans. In addition, it has been well established than females are twice as likely to be diagnosed with panic disorder than males (Asnaani, Gutner, Hinton, & Hofmann, 2009; McLean, Asnaani, Litz, & Hofmann, 2011). A number of factors (e.g., biological influences, temperament, exposure to stressors and trauma, cognitive factors, and environmental factors) have been identified as possibly influencing sex differences in rates of panic disorder (McLean & Anderson, 2009). However, no one theory has been determined so the underlying reason for sex differences in rates of panic disorder remains unknown.
The degree of accompanying stress response and its physiological, psychological, and emotional changes are directly proportional to the degree of anxiety. For example, if you are only slightly concerned, such as being slightly nervous about meeting someone new, the body produces a small degree stress response. The small degree stress response can be so slight that you don’t even notice it.
I think i had an attack today while at work, I’ve been feeling overly anxious about going To work since my dad passed a month ago, I’ve been able to keep myself busy when I’m feeling anxious and will usually pass, but today I had the feeling I was trapped and I had to get out, Was shaking and couldn’t get my words out had the worst dry mouth, I literally got my things together and walked out of work, once home took me a good couple of hours of just sitting staring at the tv to feel ok again, in my profession being anxious is not a good thing, not sure on what is best to do
Panic disorder is characterized by repeated, unexpected panic attacks, as well as fear of experiencing another episode. A panic disorder may also be accompanied by agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in places where escape or help would be difficult in the event of a panic attack. If you have agoraphobia, you are likely to avoid public places such as shopping malls, or confined spaces such as an airplane.
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the thinking patterns and behaviors that are sustaining or triggering your panic attacks and helps you look at your fears in a more realistic light. For example, if you had a panic attack while driving, what is the worst thing that would really happen? While you might have to pull over to the side of the road, you are not likely to crash your car or have a heart attack. Once you learn that nothing truly disastrous is going to happen, the experience of panic becomes less terrifying.
